New constituency fund to settle bills for patients
What you need to know:
- The select committee on the NGCDF said the Fund would also increase its education allocation from 25 to 35 per cent and provide grants to schools to pay teachers hired on contract.
- The NGCDF is the successor of the CDF, which was declared unconstitutional by the High Court.
The National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) will pay hospital insurance fees for selected vulnerable individuals, a committee of the National Assembly said on Tuesday.
The select committee on the NGCDF said the Fund would also increase its education allocation from 25 to 35 per cent and provide grants to schools to pay teachers hired on contract.
Committee chairman Moses Lessonet said the team would soon sign an MoU with the National Hospital Insurance Fund on how the money would be remitted.
The Eldama Ravine MP said the Fund was targeting a minimum of 500 people in every constituency.
“A lot of people have been locked out of the cash transfer scheme and do not have medical cover,” Mr Lessonet said.
The NGCDF is the successor of the CDF, which was declared unconstitutional by the High Court.
The MP was speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, when Planning and Statistics PS Saitoti Torome launched the Fund’s board five-year strategic plan.
INCREASE IN BURSARY
“The increase in bursary will ensure more children remain in school,” Mr Lessonet said.
Mr Torome said since its inception 13 years ago, CDF had funded 231,000 projects with more than 50 per cent in education.
Mr Elias Mbau, the chairman of the board, defended the Fund, saying court cases had affected its operations.
“NGCDF is here to stay. We have suffered a lot of litigation,” said the former Maragwa MP.
Mr Lessonet, who was accompanied by 14 fellow MPs, dismissed governors’ opposition to the Fund.
County bosses and some civil society groups insist that the NGCDF cash should be channelled to devolved units.
“What is unconstitutional about building a school, a police station or paying a child’s fees?” Mr Lessonet asked.
Acting CEO Yusuf Mbuno said the plan would help it to focus on what is important and streamline services.
“Allocation of sufficient funds to a few projects will help realise optimal benefits compared to spreading of cash to many,” the board said in its plan.
which is to run from 2016 to 2021.
